Can I feed my cat urinary food to prevent bladder crystals?

I would strongly advise against this. I would keep him on some form of food labelled for urinary crystal prevention. Urinary blockages can be a fatal emergency. Royal Canin, Hills, and Purina ProPlan are the three foods that use the most science in their nutrition. I have never heard of young again. Any of their foods that are labelled "S/O" are meant to prevent the formation of urinary crystals. Many urinary diets do have an increased caloric amount, and I sympathize that can be a struggle, but it is related to what keeps their urinary tracts healthy. You can try feeding canned food that is watered down to lower some calories. The extra water and hydration is great for the urinary tract as well. Feeding the food out of toys and feeders, instead of bowls in meals, to encourage their working for food and hunting behaviors can also help with their food intake.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Speedy. If his veterinarian has recommended a prescription diet, then he should stay on one. Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Urinary SO, Hills Veterinary Diet C/D or Purina ProPlan Veterinary Diets U/R are all great choices to help prevent crystals in his urine. I hope this information helps!

Purina Friskies is a low/mid grade quality food and I would not be surprised if his crystalluria returns. He really needs a prescription diet such as c/d from Hills or a similar formula from Royal Canin. Your veterinarian should have this food available, or be able to send you to a store to purchase with a prescription. I have also had good luck using Crystal Stone Formula ( a Chinese herbal), but this is a prescription herbal. I would be happy to consult with you about this. I would recommend a prescription diet for at least 6 months prior to trying to wean off of it. If you absolutely CANNOT get a prescription diet, I would focus on a high quality, high protein diet, but NONE will dissolve and prevent crystals as well.

I would not feed him anything except for the prescription diet. You can take the can version of the diet and put it in ice trays and freeze it to make treats for him. You could also look at the brand of prescription food and see if that have a compatible treat. You could even call the company and ask - most are more than willing to help. I hope this helps!

It is recommended to have Rigby's urine checked. We would want to make sure that the food is still working and he is not developing crystals. It is always recommended to have twice-yearly checkups to make sure animals are still ok and to catch things early but especially with urinary issues. If there are crystals starting in Rigby's urine then a change in food would be recommended. This is ideally best medicine. If you are unable to bring in Rigby, I would discuss other options with your veterinarian. You have to have a physical performed at least yearly to keep with the laws of having a veterinary - patient - client relationship inorder to write prescriptions. Your veterinarian may allow you to collect the urine at home by using a non-absorbant litter. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Moving forward, you will need to feed Frodo a prescription diet for cats who have urinary problems. I recommend Royal Canin S/O. These diets are formulated to promote increased drinking and urination. They also affect the urine pH to prevent the formation of crystals and one type of bladder stone. You will want to have his urine checked at least twice a year for infections and crystals until you know things are stable. I've got my fingers crossed for you and Frodo!

Hello, sorry to hear about Jack. It really depends on what type of crystals your cat has, however, in general feeding canned wet food to increased moisture and water intake is generally recommended over dry food. Any wet food is preferable and it does not have to be specific for urinary stones. Some crystals are more likely to form with acidic urine and some are more likely to form with alkaline urine. However, they both benefit from having more water consumption which can be in the form for canned food. If you're unable to continue to feed the c/d food, then you may discuss transitioning to canned food with your veterinarian as a more feasible alternative. At this time, it is unclear if a urinary diet helps decrease the incidence of crystals. In regards to the nutritional content of the diet, it will be adequate to provide for Jacks' nutritional requirements as all diets are formulated following AAFCO guidelines. Hope this helps and best of luck.